Kouyo
by Tim Brent
Summary: A biography of Touya Kouyo
1. Early Days

Kouyo  
  
I don't own or claim to own HnGo.  
  
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Early Days  
  
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July 1962,and there is some consternation on the face of Touya Hitoshi, Meijin of Shogi (Japanese Chess).  
  
His youngest of three sons, 4-year-old Kouyo, isn't showing any interest in his father's game (as brothers Akira and Taro have), but instead seems to have a liking for Go.  
  
Go! The Meijin thought fairly upset, Why that's the game for the intellectually weak! A truly smart individual plays Shogi!  
  
"Kouyo-kun," the Meijin asked, "why is it you do not wish to play Shogi,as I and your brothers do? Why Go? How did you come to find it, as none of us ever play it?"  
  
"Father, I saw people playing it in the park, and it looked so beautiful!!" young Kouyo exclaimed. "The black and white stones on the board, and just the way they play the stones!! It looks like more fun than Shogi!"  
  
At this Touya Meijin was really upset....  
  
"Fun!! Go is not fun... Go is for those without the will or capacity to play Shogi! With Shogi you have to determine when to replay a piece you have captured, and also when to promote a piece! In Go,the stones just lay there doing nothing!!"  
  
"But,Father...." young Kouyo-kun's voice trailed off, "...I see movement and beauty in Go, I want to be a Go player,and I want to be the best Go player ever!!"  
  
"Why play this, when I and you brothers play Shogi? Akira-kun and Taro-kun seem to like it,unlike you."  
  
"But when I play Akira-san and Taro-san, they always make fun of my moves! And when I play you, Father, I always feel as if I am not intended for this game, please let me learn and play Go, I do not wish to always battle you..."  
  
At this, the Meijin grew concerned..."You feel you were not intended to play Shogi? But I have always played Shogi and loved it, and I wished for my sons to follow me down the path to perfect play."  
  
"But can not perfect play be in Go as well? I do not like Shogi,and it hurts that this upsets you, Father, but I feel I was meant to play Go."  
  
The Meijin's mood darkened, Meant to play Go, unlike I or his brothers? Why does Kouyo-kun wish to follow this path, unlike what I and his brothers have? Kouyo-kun has always been headstrong, maybe if I permit him to have his way, he will see that Shogi is superior.  
  
"All right, Kouyo, you may play Go..." at which Touya Kouyo's face lit up, "I will sign you up for classes in a few weeks, as I am preparing for the Oi (Shogi title,roughly equivalent to Oza) title matches."  
  
Four weeks later, Touya Kouyo has his ifrst Go set, with a 5-cm board and glass stones for ¥1500 (around $10.00 US in 1962 prices). And his father signed him up for classes with Go professional Kuwabara Tarohito,4-Dan.  
  
"Eh, eh, the Shogi Meijin allowing his child into a Go class?", asked Kuwabara sensei.  
  
"Yes, my son wishes to play Go," replied the Meijin...  
  
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Review away...more coming soon...sorry no contributions for so long. 


	2. Lessons

Kouyo  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own HnGo,etc....  
  
Chapter 2 :Lessons  
  
October 1962,and 4 year old Touya Kouyo was preparing for his first Go lessons with his sensei Kuwabara 4-Dan, at Kuwabara's weekly classes in the old Japan Go Institute (at that time, located near Shinjuku train station).  
  
As a total beginner, he did have to learn the basics, such as atari. These he had quickly learned, to the surprise of some of the older students and the delight of Kuwabara sensei...  
  
"See how the young can easily adapt to new ideas and situation? You all need to learn the same."  
  
"Kuwabara sensei, this is so much fun to learn and to have others to play Go with, unlike at home..."  
  
Another of the adult students asked "He doesn't have anybody at home that plays? How did he come into it."  
  
"Eh, eh, I don't understand either, but his father is Touya Hitoshi,the Shogi Meijin..."  
  
"...Father is also the Oi title holder now..."  
  
"...he has 2 titles now?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
The adult student asked "Kuwabara sensei, how will you do for your first time in the Honinbo League? After all, you have tough players such as Eio and Rin Kaiho (2 real life Go stars of the 1960's, stil active today) to contend with."  
  
"I will know when I play them. My soxth sense indicates though, that I will do very well, though maybe not yet win the honor of the title match."  
  
"Good luck, Kuwabara sensei."  
  
"Thank you. Now for the games and shidougo. I will play with our new student, young Touya-kun."  
  
Kouyo was excited. His first ever game, and with Kuwabara 4-Dan!! He placed the seven stones as sensei had instructed, and soon the match began....  
  
After the match was ended (a 17 moku loss for Kouyo) came an explanation for him of why he lost. "Touya-kun, these moves in the corner were very poor, and they reduced the seven stones to in efffect six. However, there were some moves that show great possibilities, although in this match, they were deflected and of no help. There is still much that you need to learn, but I can see you will."  
  
"Am I a good player? Will I be one?"  
  
"Yes, after all this was from what I understand, the first game that you have ever played. To become good at Go, you need experience and pracrtice, and then your talents grow. My sixth sense indicates you will become a very strong player, Touya-kun."  
  
"Thank you, sensei. Is there any ways I can learn Go when I am not in the class?"  
  
"Yes, books, kifu, and just playing stones to learn the shapes. Here are some spare kifu of Kitani (a top star of the 1930's thru the 1960's), my teacher. You may recreate them and learn on your own board. Also for playing, the Institute has tournaments for children in all age groups."  
  
At home, young Kouyo was waiting outside the room where his father, the Meijin (Oi) held his weekly study group, featuring many of the Shogi pros and several students from the Shogi Institute, including his brothers.  
  
(Shogi has its own Institute and study groups as Go does. In fact Nikkei, Honinbo Sansa, was the first Meijin in both Shogi and Go).  
  
As always, Touya Meijin had a serious look upon his face when discussing Shogi. The game they were discussing was Game 5 of the Oi finals, in which Touya defeated Futakami Osho (another title) to win the title. Also they talked of the upcoming Kisei matches.  
  
The study group soon ended, and Touya Meijin saw his youngest son.  
  
"So, how was the lesson today?"   
  
"I learned a lot, although I lsot in shidougo with Kuwabara sensei. But he praised me and said that I can go far! He also told me of children's tournaments and matches at the Go Institute! I wish to play in them!"  
  
Tournaments? Though the Meijin. Maybe if he plays in one and loses, he'll come back to Shogi...  
  
"When is the next of these tournaments? I will enter you."  
  
"The first Saturday of each month at the Go Institute."  
  
"All right" the Meijin replied. What will the other Shogi pros be thinking, me taking my youngest son to a GO tournament, and being in the Go Institute, whereas Akira-kun and Taro-kun are already recognized in the Shogi Institute...  
  
More coming soon (including on Touya Meijin and Akira-kun and Taro-kun...  
  
Review away! 


	3. First Tournaments

Kouyo  
  
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Standard disclaimer--I don't own HnGo....  
  
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Chapter 3-First Tournaments  
  
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November 3, 1962,Bunka no hi (Culture Day), and 5-year-old Touya Kouyo, having played but a few games in Kuwabara sensei's classes, goes to the Japan Go Instittute building for his first ever Children's Tournament.  
  
Sign in was at 10 a.m. with the drawing for the matchups at 10.30. The drawing was begining, and the names of the players were being called out. Fairly early on, his name was called to draw a number.  
  
"Touya Kouyo-san!"  
  
He went up to the box with the slips of paper with the numbers for he drawing. He pulled out his number...14.  
  
Soon would be the first games.  
  
"Players will sit form the back of the room. Number 1 will play Number 2 and so on..." Touya Kouyo went to the second row from the back, where the seventh board was located, and sat.  
  
Soon the player with number 13 approached the board. A boy of about 9 Hitaki, sat across from him.  
  
"Nigiri and please begin..." The players nigiried,and Kouyo has the Black stones. He played on the star point in the upper right and so the game began. White countered with the lower left star. The play had quickly developed and soon Hitaki had a small lead.  
  
But then in the endgame Hitaki hadn't seen that a group in the corner was not yet fully connected or alive. Soon Kouyo hit right upon the vital point (key point for the life and death of a group of stones) of White's shape, severely weakening it, then on his next play (Hitaki having not seen the danger his group was in, tenukied, or played elsewhere), Black played another stone, cutting and killing the corner White group.  
  
"I have lost," said Hitaki, "Thank you for the game."   
  
"Thank you for the game." at which the person refereeing the tournament,Inoue sensei, came by to discuss the game.  
  
"Hitaki-san,had you in this corner played upon the 2-3 point, your group would have been safe and as you were within the 4.5 moku of the komi, you would have won. But you have nothing to be ashamed of, as you played well and with time will learn to see and stop such errors."  
  
"I understand, Inoue sensei."  
  
"You played well to see that ,Touya-san. Hmm, Touya. I know of a Touya Hitoshi, the Shogi Meijin. Are you related?"  
  
"He is my Father!"  
  
"Oh! It seems surprising that a man with such passion for Shogi would allow his son to play Go."  
  
"He did not like it at first, but then he allowed me to play Go."  
  
Soon were the pairings for the second round,and again Touya Kouyo drew his number and went to his board. His opponent was a boy a year older than him, Morashita Shigeo.  
  
They nigiried, and Morashita went first as Black. The game went fairly quickly along and soon ended. Then came the counting.  
  
"Black, Morashita-san,62 moku. White, Touya-san 57 moku. With the komi, Black wins by one half moku."  
  
"Thank you very much." "Thank you very much."  
  
"Black was able to gain an advantage in the corners early that White was unable to erase. Bith of you played your best."  
  
"Thank you, Inoue sensei."  
  
Upon his return home that afternoon. young Kouyo told the Meijin of his games.  
  
"I won the first game, and lost the second by only a half moku, and the sensei compolimented both of them!"  
  
"Did he explain the reasons you lost?" (The Meijin, while still disdaining his son's love for Go, would feign enough of an interest to discuss his son's matches.)  
  
"He stated it was mostly from Black's having the first move,and keeping theadvantage from it. Father,do you not have a problem when you play White in Shogi, with Black having the advantage of the first move?" (Shogi,like Go, has first move for Black, unlike Western Chess where White moves first.)  
  
"Yes, I do. But I work to overcome the disadvantage, as do Akira and Taro."  
  
"I can't wait for next month's tournament!"  
  
The time passed quickly in Kuwabara's classes,and soon Touya Kouyo worked himself down to only a 6-stone handicap against Kuwabara (who was currently third in the Honinbo League,behind Rin and Ichiryu.)  
  
Soom was the December tounament,and Kouyo won his first three games. losing in the fourth round, with Black by a half moku,again to Morashita.  
  
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More to come soon....sorry on delay. 


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